Sunday, February 11, 2018

Going to the heart of the faith - I believe in Jesus

Welcome to our services today and a special welcome to any worshipping
with us for the first time.

In the run up to Easter I am exploring what for me
goes to the heart of the Christian faith.

For me, the God I believe in is a
great big God, nothing less than the God of Creation. I don’t see any conflict
between science and religion. The world of science opens up wonderful insights
into the wonders of the universe – the God of creation is more wonderful still!
To believe in the God of creation helps me to put in perspective the troubles I
am all too aware of in the world around me. It also challenges me to care for
the world we find ourselves in. But focusing on the God of creation only gets
me so far in my faith.

I am a Christian.

For me, my faith finds its focus in
Jesus Christ. Jesus open up a way of life to follow that is based on love for
all, bringing healing into hurting people’s lives. The more I discover about
this Jesus through my reading of the Bible and in fellowship with others who
share this very special faith, the more he opens up for me the presence of a
God who is not just the God of creation, but much more, the God of love.

This Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday and we have a
special evening with a difference as the orchestra and chorus of the Harpsichord
Collective present Vivaldi's much-loved 'Gloria'. Louise Cawte of St Luke’s who
is the inspiration behind this evening comments, “This jewel of baroque music
is a great hymn of praise in a number of short sections, with beautiful
melodies and catchy rhythms. The orchestra will also perform some string music
by Vivaldi and Bach's magnificent double concerto for oboe and violin.”
Admission is free, with a retiring collection for SolarAid.

These are very rough notes of the service we shared ...

Welcome
and Call to Worship

457
All hail the power of Jesus’ name

Prayer
and the Lord’s Prayer

Do
you leave your mark?

Can
you tell things people have done?

Cleaning
– flowers arranged

John’s
story – in prison wants to know if Jesus is the one … and so sends his
disciples – Jesus sends word back – look at what’s been happening, look at what
I’ve done …

Work
out the answer for yourself.

John’s
story

Reading:
Luke 7:18-23

A
Hy-Spirit Song

Activities
for all over 3

Drawn
into the Presence of God

In
the run up to Easter I am exploring what for me goes to the heart of the Christian
faith. For me, the God I believe in is a great big God,

nothing
less than the God of Creation. To believe in the God of

creation
helps me to put in perspective the troubles I am all too

aware
of in the world around me. It also challenges me to care for

the
world we find ourselves in. But focusing on the God of creation

only
gets me so far in my faith. I am a Christian.

More
and more, over the years, I have found myself coming back to Christ and the
Jesus who is at the heart of the faith.

If
all you’ve got is some sense of God, the God of creation then there are big
questions that have no answer – and they cropped up when I went into school on
Tuesday morning – why is there so much suffering in the world?

If
God is all powerful, all loving, how does he allow suffering to happen?

I
do find it helpful to turn to the story of Job – and sense that you have to
live with unanswered questions.

But
is this the only picture of God we can have.

Is
there another way into the God who is so important.

This is where Jesus comes in.

I
have always found Holy Week to be one of the most powerful weeks in the year.

I
have found it helpful to mark the stages in the week.

Palm
Sunday, MaundyThursday, the three hours
of Good Friday.

I
found that for myself.

One
Good Friday our youth group met together at 12-00 and we had a bread and cheese
lunch – and we listened to a concept album that had just been released. There
was no stage musical at that point. Just a double LP. Jesus Christ Superstar.

It
put big questions about the identity of Jesus into the mouth of Judas – it
prompted so much discussion.

The
story itself is so powerful – told from different perspectives in the Gospels.

Just
the biblical texts.

The
Passion Play was such a moving experience at the Millennium

Maundy
Thursday we basically read an extended part of the text and share in the Lord’s
Supper.

And
on Good Friday – the sayings at the Cross.

And
a prayer walk through the town.

For
a number of yeas I went up to Prinknash after the walk of witness – most
memorably on the Day of the Good Friday Agreement. Driving back came the news
the agreement had been signed.

I
am one of those who is drawn to digging away at the Jesus of history -0 and
that is a project that can be done. It’s been exciting to do that in all sorts
of ways – not least in the project I am doing at the moment.

Jesus
teaches such a powerful way of living – love God, love neighbour, love enemy
too.

He
makes that love real in bringing healing into hurting people’s lives.

And
somehow in his presence those who follow him sense he opens up a window on to
God that shows God to be a god of love who draws us into the closest of
relationships with him.

Our
Father …

The
most wonderful of prayers.

Those
who follows him sense that he brings that god of love close to them.

This
is the god of love who is there through suffering, there even when he doesn’t
appear to be there, the God who draws us to him in the middle of the suffering.

A
very different kind of God.

For me, my faith finds its focus in Jesus
Christ. Jesus opens up a way of life to follow that is based on love for all, bringing
healing into hurting people’s lives. The more I discover about this Jesus
through my reading of the Bible and in fellowship with others who share this
very special faith, the more he opens up for me the presence of a God who is
not just the God of creation, but much more, the God of love.

One
of the books of the New Testament where that comes home to me is in the letter
to the Hebrews.

It’s
one of the later books of the New Testament – wrongly attributed to Paul in the
AV, it is an anonymous letter.

It
is a considered reflection in the light of the Jesus of history, but also the
risen Jesus whose presence is there with us and whose presence is made real as
we gather together in his name.

In
Jesus we meet with the reality of God. These words are up with the opening
words of John’s Gospel as they confront us with the imprint of God in the life
of Jesus.

Hebrews
1:1-4

Long
ago God spoke to our ancestors

in many and
various ways by the prophets,

but
in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son,

whom he appointed
heir of all things,

through whom he
also created the worlds.

He
is the reflection of God’s glory

and the exact
imprint of God’s very being,

and he sustains
all things by his powerful word.

When
he had made purification for sins,

he sat down at the
right hand of the Majesty on high,

having become as
much superior to angels

as the name he has
inherited is more excellent than theirs.

That’s
quite some statement

Jesus
bearing the imprint of God – the reflection of God’s glory.

A
HySpirit Song

The
writer goes on to speak of the greatness of God.

There
is a sense of the distance of the awesomeness of a great big God.

But
Jesus is the one who draws us intot he presence of God and draws God into our
presence.

Hebrews
is built around the thought world of the Hebrew Scriptures – our Old Testament.

Jesus
is seens as the one who is the great High Priest – the bridge builder –
pontifex – bringing us to God, God to us.

The
High Priest is just like God – but also just like us …

Hebrews
4:14-16

Since,
then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus,
the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high
priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in
every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore
approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and
find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus
has experienced humanity at its worst – and is there with us in the worst
humanity can hurl at us.

And
that is so important to hold on t

That
then has implications for us …

The
writer explores the imagery and the thinking around the Templea s the place of
God’s presence. Then imagines that we are invited into that presence.

We
can enter into the presence of God – by the new and living way opened up for us
by jesus.

Therefore,
my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of
Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain
(that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house
of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our
hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure
water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he
who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to
love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

We
can enter into the presence of God

We
approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith,

We
hold fast to the confession of our hope

And
we provoke one another to love.

At
the heart of such a faith is faith – we have to trust and believe …

We
act on that faith.

Hebrews
11:1-3

Now
faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that
the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from
things that are not visible.

The
rest of the chapter goes through the great people of Faith of those Hebrew
Scriptures.

With
such faith … we need to focus on

Therefore,
since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with
perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and
perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right
hand of the throne of God.

That
then makes a differencve in the living of our lives …

Hebrews
13

Let
mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by
doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who
are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being
tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in
honour by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge
fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be
content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake
you.’ So we can say with confidence,

‘The
Lord is my helper;

I will not be afraid.

What
can anyone do to me?’

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the
word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate
their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.

Shaping our Church for tomorrow

Our sermons on Sunday mornings are exploring the way we can make that a reality.

Mapping the Church of the Future

As we re-shape the life of our church and dream dreams for the future of Highbury we are reading through Acts on Sunday evenings. Our series of sermons with the title 'Mapping the Church of the Future' is a 21st Century view of Acts.